


Ma Vhenan

by Archangel265



Category: Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:50:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7717285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archangel265/pseuds/Archangel265
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merrill has moved into Kirkwall after leaving her clan and must now settle into life among humans. One of her few friends to help with this is Hawke but she still struggles to find her place in this strange new world she's been forced into.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ma Vhenan

Merrill hated Sundermount. At first she’d loved it, finally having found a place to call home after travelling all the way from the Brecilian forest in Ferelden for such a long time. But Sundermount was not the forest, everything there was stone and the place gave off a cold aura. Merrill missed the sound of the wind whistling through the trees and the feel of grass under her toes, but there were hardly any trees or grass here. But now she was finally leaving; she was going to the city, Kirkwall. A group of people had arrived to travel to the summit of the mountain and Keeper Marethari had sent Merrill with them to perform the necessary ritual needed. There were four of them; a dwarf called Varric with a strange looking crossbow on his back, a woman dressed in chain armour called Aveline, a young male warrior called Carver and his older sister Hawke, who was also a mage and seemed to be the leader of them. Merrill couldn’t help but notice that Hawke was incredibly attractive, with shortly cut but well styled black hair, as well as dark green eyes that had a constant humorous look to them, as if she was constantly smiling at a good joke, but she hid this thought as well as she could. When they had nearly reached the end of the trek they’d come across a magical barrier that Merrill had dispelled with blood magic, which had garnered a variety of different responses. Varric didn’t seem to mind about the use of the magic and was instead more concerned for her safety, Aveline pursed her lips and scowled a little but didn’t say anything more, Carver was disgusted by the idea of blood magic while Hawke had made a joke about how blood magic was great until the demon took what it wanted back. Once they’d passed through the barrier and completed the ritual to release Asha’bellanar, or Flemeth as Hawke called her, there had been no more mention of blood magic during the whole trip back down and once they’d arrived back at the Dalish camp Marethari had asked Hawke to bring Merrill with her back to Kirkwall, which she had agreed to.  
Now they had arrived in the city and were making their way to a place called the alienage which Varric explained was an area where only elves lived, completely separated from the humans. Hawke and Varric worked together and eventually managed to buy a small, ramshackle house for her in the corner of the main square of the alienage. The house had many large holes in the roof, there was only water available to drink and she seemed to share it with all of the rats in Kirkwall but Merrill loved it anyway and appreciated the gesture that the only two people who seemed to still be able to tolerate her had shown. Hawke came to visit her once she’d settled in and they talked for quite some time, mainly about Merrill’s life with the Dalish, but before she left Hawke invited her to come to the Hanged Man with her now to properly meet everyone and relax. Merrill was excited that Hawke would even want her to be there but she eagerly accepted the offer, almost too eagerly she felt. If Hawke noticed anything however then she didn’t mention it as she beamed happily before virtually dragging Merrill out of the door.  
There were seven people sat around the table at the Hanged Man, not including Merrill herself. There were the four she had met earlier but also another human mage called Anders, an escaped elven Tevinter slave covered in strange lyrium tattoos called Fenris and an attractive human pirate captain called Isabela. When she had introduced herself Fenris had immediately started staring at her with suspicion and distrust, which then developed in hate once she mentioned her blood magic. Anders also seemed to get angry at the mention of it and moved himself to sit as far away from her as possible. Isabela however seemed perfectly fine with her and gave a friendly smile before sitting down near to Hawke and Varric. Merrill, not being fully comfortable with many of the others there yet, moved over to the three of them and sat down next to Varric. He shifted himself over slightly to make room for her, “Nice to see you Daisy. How’s the house?”  
“It’s quite fine thank you Varric. Not exactly what I’m used to, I’ve lived in a Dalish camp most of my life, it’s very shocking to live in a city now. It’s so incredibly different, it’s packed with life. I could do without the noise though. And more gardens would be nice, I might try to grow one in the Alienage but I don’t know where I’d find the space, or whether anyone would appreciate my efforts, and I’m babbling again aren’t I? I’m sorry, I’ll try to stop myself.” Hawke, who had been talking Isabela, leaned forward around Varric, “Don’t stop anytime soon Merrill, you’re cute when you babble,” she gave a light-hearted laugh and drunk some of her ale before continuing, “Don’t worry though, there’s nothing to be nervous about.” Merrill blushed slightly before glancing up to see Fenris on the other side of the table still glaring at her intensely, “Yes well I think I should probably quieten down a bit.” Hawke shrugged nonchalantly, “At least have a drink Merrill, can’t have your throat going dry.” Merrill reached over for the pitcher in the centre of the table and poured out a pint for herself before taking a draught of it. She immediately doubled over and nearly coughed all of the liquid out onto the floor, it tasted like rat’s piss. Hawke, Isabela and Varric, who had been watching her, burst out laughing at the display and the nearby waitress scowled at her before leaving to serve customers on the other side of the room. “Not able to handle your ale daisy?”  
“I think I shall limit myself to water from now on.” Hawke still had tears rolling down her cheeks, but managed to eventually pull herself together, “You don’t say.” Merrill, still smiling, stayed silent for the next ten minutes and instead decided to listen to what everyone around the table was talking about. She was quickly pulled out of this by Hawke before she could learn too much, “I haven’t told you about the Deep Roads Expedition have I, Merrill? Varric and I are planning it, we’re hoping to head down and find as much treasure as possible so we can get rich.”  
“That certainly sounds like it would be a useful endeavour. I wish you two the best of luck with it.”  
“Oh. Do you not want to come along? I would’ve enjoyed your company.” Once again Merrill found herself blushing, she only seemed to when Hawke talked to her, “Oh no of course not, I would love to come along. Just, I’ve never really gotten along with going underground too well, what with being an elf and all.”  
“Haha, if Daisy doesn’t want to come Hawke she doesn’t want to come. Leave her be.” If Hawke minded Merrill rejecting her like she didn’t show it and instead kept up her normal light-hearted tone. At that point it was late at night and so many of the group prepared to leave, with Aveline being the first, stating she had some important guard work to do somewhere. Carver left not long after, looking rather green in the face, which Hawke seemed to get a great amount of pleasure from. Merrill didn’t know when it would be appropriate for her to leave and because it seemed like Varric and Isabela actually lived in the Hanged Man she decided she would leave when Hawke did. Because the two of them lived in Lowtown and Hawke was only a few corners away from the Alienage they were able to talk more as walked back home, “Thank you for inviting me tonight Hawke. It was an enjoyable evening.”  
“Of course Merrill, I was glad you were there. It was good for you to meet up with everyone else properly. I do apologise for Anders and Fenris though, it seems they weren’t able to contain their disregard even for one evening.”  
“Oh don’t worry about it Hawke, I don’t mind really.” Hawke gave her another smile before saying goodnight and entering her uncle Gamlen’s house. Merrill continued walking further until she found her way to the Alienage, which was at this time of night almost completely deserted, and reached her new house. Once inside she collapsed onto her bed, still not caring about the holes in the roof or the rats that she shared her bedroom with.


End file.
